Just when we thought our hands were full caring for orphaned foals Agave and Nakota… along came Snow and Gideon!

It was truly Foal Mania at the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group.

First came Snow.

For more than a decade, we had watched his beautiful white mother, Snow White, thrive in the Tonto National Forest. She had raised several foals over the years and had just welcomed a beautiful bay colt who, like his mother, showed all the signs of eventually turning white. We named him Snow.

Then tragedy struck.

During the devastating mesquite bean poisoning outbreak, we found Snow White lying lifeless beneath the forest canopy. While we mourned her loss, one thought consumed us—her two-week-old colt.

After an anxious search, we found Snow the next day. His band, protected by two powerful stallions, had kept him safely in their midst. It was a touching display of family loyalty, but without his mother’s milk, we knew he would not survive.

The stallions allowed us to rescue Snow, and just in time. Like his mother, he was suffering from mesquite bean poisoning, severe dehydration, hypoglycemia, and acidosis. After several days of intensive care at the equine hospital, he was finally strong enough to come home.

Meanwhile, only two weeks earlier, another tiny life had been saved.

Gideon was discovered by a family enjoying a picnic in 115-degree July heat. Premature, abandoned, and only hours old, he lay alone beneath a tree with no horses anywhere nearby. He weighed just 33 pounds—about half the size of a healthy newborn foal—and had never received the vital colostrum from his mother.

Our field team rushed him to the equine hospital, where plasma, IV fluids, and emergency treatment saved his life. Veterinarians told us another 30 minutes would likely have been too late.

Once Snow was released from the hospital, we brought him north where he and Gideon could recover together. The two quickly became the best of friends.

Caring for four orphan foals—Agave, Nakota, Snow, and Gideon—was no small task. Foals eat every couple of hours, day, and night, so it meant weeks of around-the-clock bottle feedings, medical care, and very little sleep for our volunteers. It was exhausting… but every minute was worth it.

This week, Snow and Gideon are celebrating their 8th birthdays, joining Nakota, who also turned 8, and Agave, who celebrated her birthday in April.

Today, all four are thriving members of their rescue family, living together with the freedom, friendships, and love every wild horse deserves.

Happy Birthday, Snow and Gideon! Your lives are a beautiful reminder of why every rescue matters. ❤️

#srwhmg #saltriverwildhorses